I am a past employee of
the True North Wilderness Program (TNWP) working as a lead field guide before
leaving on very good terms. My family is also a current abutting neighbor with
the TNWP campus. I am writing this letter in support of True North with the
hope that it will reflect both an internal and external perspective of the
TNWP.

Beyond developing lasting
personal friendships and gaining a great amount of field experience as a
wilderness guide, the overall professionalism of the staff and work environment
at True North is that of respect and diligence. The Valley needs responsible
business leaders in our neighborhood as a way to cultivate good economy, as
well as create jobs to draw younger professionals to our area. TNWP promotes
both, developing business for local retailers, hotels, B&Bs, and
restaurants by providing their clients and their families with local
recommendations, while also promoting jobs for recent college graduates to work
as field guides, program leaders, etc. While the numbers can be specific, one
of the most important factors is that the company is responsible to their
community and to their employees.

As a neighbor, given our
location and proximity to the Dana Hill campus, we are likely the most affected
by the True North operations. We share the same driveway and see each other’s
vehicles around once a day. In the five years that True North has been
operating, not once did we feel taken advantage of, have always been greeted
with respect, and ultimately have always felt safe with their staff and their
students. I have heard some contention regarding the ability of their students
to maintain a safe environment and must reiterate that never has there ever
been an issue regarding safety for myself or my family. The children that are
attending the program are screened based upon their character and are being
sent to True North based upon their own will. This is far from juvenile
detention, and frankly, I'd be more afraid of drunken or rash behavior from ski
tourists than from any of the kids I've met or mentored.

I'm excited to see that
True North wants to expand its operations, increase their working environment
for the benefit of their students, and ultimately be a responsible business for
the community by having ample space to run their programs in an environmentally
safe manner. As a guide, it was a pleasure to camp in the woods with kids who
are looking for answers, listening to birds in the morning, owls at night, and
following the tracks during the day. As a neighbor and avid environmentalist,
we are thrilled to be able to walk in our shared forests and see the signs of
nature, appearing to be unfettered due to TNWP’s "Leave No Trace"
policy.

We must remember that
there is no better classroom than nature, where every distraction is a learning
opportunity.

Feel free to send me an email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or call (802)595-0522) if you are a concerned neighbor regarding True North's expansion in Fayston.